Yearly Archive: 2014

31

This year was kind of weird. Personally and professionally it was pretty fantastic, but the world around seemed to be going further and further down this depressing hole (see: each of my “What I’m Reading” posts). But within all of those horrible events I saw some amazing people doing amazing things, fighting for their rights and demanding that those who have chosen to look away for so long pay attention.

This year I:
• Traveled to Santa Barbara (twice), Portland, Tampa, Atlanta (work), Philadelphia (work), Alaska, Hawaii, New Orleans, Vancouver (work), Denver (work) and the Bay Area.
• Presented at four national conferences, including one in Canada.
• Was part of a team that helped prepare our county to respond to Ebola, while still managing to do all of our regular work.
• With the help of Austin (obviously) kept our kittens alive for another year. They continue to be adorable, snuggly little jerks.
• Got my act together exercise wise, and managed to end the year down a pants size or two.
• Read and reviewed 58 books for Cannonball Read. I’m hoping to do the double Cannonball in 2015.
• Paid off our student loans (again, Austin was a big factor in this one)
• With the help of many of you, conducted interviews, did research, and wrote the first draft of “How Not to be an Asshole When Your Friends Have Kids.”
• Almost made it all the way through Veronica Mars (just a few episodes left). Thanks to Austin for finally getting me to watch it – it’s SO GOOD.

Next year we’re going to Portland, to London and Paris to see friends, to Canada for the women’s World Cup, and (hopefully) to Napa to help friends celebrate their birthdays. I plan to make more headway with my book, Austin and I will dive back into learning French and Spanish, and the kittens will somehow learn to vacuum their own hair and clean their own litter box.

I know that friends and family faced challenges, sadness and even tragedy in 2014; some can’t wait to kick this year to curb. However 2014 treated you, I hope that 2015 is your best year yet.

28

– “They found that the cemetery held 31 graves. That matched exactly the number of pipe crosses at Boot Hill, which were planted in the 1990s based on folklore. But that number — 31 — was based on the school’s own records, records kept by men accused of torturing boys. Those same papers showed that another 50 children died in custody. We asked where the other 50 boys were buried. The FDLE said they had no idea.” Ground Truth: In Dozier’s Neglected Cemetery a Search for Lost Boys and the Reasons Why They Died (h/t @mattdpearce)

– “At the same time, however, we need to understand that their deaths are in no way related to the massive protests against systemic abuses of the justice system as symbolized by the recent deaths—also national tragedies—of Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, and Michael Brown. Ismaaiyl Brinsley, the suicidal killer, wasn’t an impassioned activist expressing political frustration, he was a troubled man who had shot his girlfriend earlier that same day.” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The Police Aren’t Under Attack. Institutionalized Racism Is. (via @kaj33)

– “Keep in mind that up until now, there have been no reported incidents before any game, high school college or professional, in response to the players’ wearing the shirts. And we should ask: What kind of a message it is for a principal to send to young people that actually caring about the world and being educated on issues is somehow something that should be maligned and censored, if not outright punished?” Lesson Learned: High School Hoops Team Disinvited From Tournament Over ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Shirts (via @EdgeofSports)

Capitalism

– “Many were uninsured Heartland patients who were eligible for financial aid that would have eliminated or drastically cut their bills. Instead, they were charged full price for their care, without the deep discounts negotiated by insurers, according to court records, interviews and data provided by Heartland.” From the E.R. to the Courtroom: How Nonprofit Hospitals Are Seizing Patients’ Wages (via @ProPublica)

– “If “the rape train’s coming for you”—directed at a woman in order to punish her for her work advocating for women—doesn’t qualify as gendered abuse, then what on earth does? What’s the point of having a harassment policy at all if it doesn’t police harassment?” Twitter doesn’t think these rape and death threats are harassment (via @TheLindyWest)

– “It represents a remarkable shift,” Arthur Caplan, who heads the division of bioethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, told NBC News. “If physician opposition continues to weaken, it is likely that despite fierce resistance from some religious groups and some in the disability community, more states will follow Oregon, Washington and Vermont, and legalize.” Most Doctors In The United States Now Support ‘Death With Dignity’ Laws (h/t @Legal_Voice)

Resolutions

– “I’ve concluded that people condemn those who make resolutions to change mainly because change makes folks uncomfortable. So rather than encourage and support people who are trying to make changes, folks ridicule them and chastise them for making resolutions.” Talking About A Resolution (via @FeministaJones)

27

I’ve been reading at a faster clip now that I’m actually done with the Cannonball. Or at least, it feels like it. Maybe it’s because the pressure is off. This latest book comes courtesy of that old traveler’s standby, Hudson News. Even though I have about 20 unread books on my Kindle – including that bastard book five of A Song of Ice and Fire – I always wander into this newsstand/bookstore when I’m at the airport. This book caught my eye and I’m really glad it did.

Ms. Cahalan was a reporter at the New York Post when she started acting strangely. She was paranoid, manic, and even started to have seizures. One doctor thought she was an alcoholic; she eventually was admitted to an epilepsy ward at NYU, where she underwent tests as her condition deteriorated. Was she having a nervous breakdown? Was she bi-polar? Was she sick with something that was physically altering her brain?

It is not a spoiler to say that doctors eventually figured out what was going on. But the journey to get there is fascinating, especially because Ms. Cahalan serves as both the subject as well as the author, but not in the traditional memoir way. Because she has very few memories of that time, she treats herself as the subject of a story. She pursues answers and creates a narrative the way she would a feature story; in fact the book stems from a feature she wrote about herself once she returned to her position at the Post.

The book is well-written, interesting, and compelling. The story it tells is terrifying in some respects, but hopeful in others.

21

Last week I purchased four books on sugar. Motivated by all the holiday sweets around, I remembered the last book I read last year – Good Calories, Bad Calories – and thought maybe I needed a bit of a refresher on nutrition. I searched for a few books, and I decided to start here.

The book is heavily academic, and focuses mostly on the author’s own research. Although much of it describes scientific study, it isn’t hard to read. Dr. Yudkin is interested in the effects of sugar not just as a cause of diabetes (and it’s important to note my use of the word “a” and not “the”) but as a factor contributing to the increase of heart disease and many other ailments. His research runs in direct opposition of Dr. Ancel Keys, who claims that dietary fat is the cause of heart disease, not. I have to say that Dr. Yudkin’s research is, when coupled with what I read last year in Good Calories, Bad Calories, more convincing.

Dr. Yudkin’s research is especially interesting because it focuses on sugar and not all refined carbohydrates; he is not making the argument that white bread is going to cause illness. And he backs that up with research. In many studies he compares rats fed the same diets except in one group they have added sugar and in the other they have added carbohydrates; in the former the rats have adverse reactions whereas in the latter they generally do not.

I appreciate the book because Dr. Yudkin is quite clear in his arguments that sugar is not the SOLE cause of really much of anything – and even some people who the evidence would suggest should get illnesses based on their consumption of sugar won’t because of other environmental factors. It’s interesting, because the way I read the book, it seems like Dr. Yudkin’s critics want him to only make his claims if he can show sugar is the sole cause of something, or that sugar will definitely cause it. Which is ridiculous, considering smoking is definitely a cause of lung cancer, but not everyone who smokes will get lung cancer.

The book’s last chapter is sort of fascinating, because Dr. Yudkin discusses the ways in which the sugar industry – either directly or via allegedly independent nutrition councils – has tried to discredit or silence Dr. Yudkin. It’s distressing, but it reminds me a bit of when I worked at a pharmaceutical company, and they spent a lot of time trying to discredit an author of a book critical of the industry before the book even came out. When money is involved, people get really defensive.

The main reason I don’t give this book a higher rating is because I think there are others out that that do it better. The book itself is also quite old; I believe this version is from the 80s. Based on other books I’ve read it appears his theories have been supported with evidence since then, but it seems like the best bet is to read a more recent version to have a better picture of why I really need to cut as much sugar out of my diet as possible. But probably not during the holidays. That’s just asking for failure.

– “And Morris felt like she was alone. “All of the people that were there,” she says, “were his friends and were wrestling members. I didn’t have a single person on my side in this case. I didn’t have my family there. I didn’t have many friends in town. I was basically by myself besides my roommate.” All of this made her keenly aware that she was not emotionally ready to enter a criminal justice system that would scrutinize her life and choices. “I just didn’t feel ready then,” she says.” The Wrestler and the Rape Victim (via @scATX)

– “The law is not only incarcerating a handful of new mothers but affecting many more women, as evidenced by months of interviews with women, doctors and health workers. Pregnant women are diving underground in an effort to avoid the fate they’ve seen in mug shots on the local news. They are avoiding prenatal care—and when they do get it, they are switching hospitals at the last minute, leaving the state, or giving birth outside of hospitals in the hope of avoiding prosecution and keeping their children.” The State Where Giving Birth Can Be Criminal (h/t @WentRougue)

– “Furthermore, Sandy McElroy, beyond being a convicted felon, had a record in St. Louis of interfering with investigations and making preposterous claims about connections she had to cold cases. All of this was known to St. Louis officials. Her extreme racism was not private, but public, and was discussed at great length with the FBI before she was ever allowed to testify before the grand jury.” How Sandy McElroy and Prosecutor Bob McCulloch colluded to destroy the case against Darren Wilson (via @shaunking)

– “All we want is justice for John Crawford, and everyone responsible for John Crawford’s death should be held responsible,” Crawford family attorney Michael Wright said at a Tuesday press conference, numerous outlets reported. “The criminal justice system refused to hold those accountable so the civil system must.” John Crawford’s family sues Wal-Mart, Ohio town police for wrongful death (h/t @JamilSmith)

– “The letter calls both the lifetime ban and the one-year deferral policies “discriminatory” and “unacceptable.” The lawmakers urged an end to the lifetime ban by the “end of 2014,” while also pushing for a less-stringent restriction than the one-year celibacy requirement.” Elizabeth Warren Says Gay Men Should Be Able To Donate Blood (via @MotherJones)

– “This important shift will ensure that the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are extended to those who suffer discrimination based on gender identity, including transgender status,” Holder said in a statement. “This will help to foster fair and consistent treatment for all claimants. And it reaffirms the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans.” The Justice Department Just Announced a Big Step Forward for Transgender Rights (via @PolicyMic)

– “Recommendations made on medical talk shows often lack adequate information on specific benefits or the magnitude of the effects of these benefits,” the article said. “… The public should be skeptical about recommendations made on medical talk shows.” Half of Dr. Oz’s medical advice is baseless or wrong, study says (h/t @DrJanChi)

– “Ignoring the complexity of body size, importantly, nowhere in the ADA definition does it say “unless the impairment is the fault of the person, in which case no accommodations shall be given.” I assume that’s because the idea that we should try to determine if a person’s disability is their fault before providing accommodations that allow them to be a welcome part of society is absolutely horrifying.” Is “Obesity” a Disability (via @DancesWithFat)

– “But there is no way to retract the damage that has been done to this young woman or to the countless survivors who will now agonize even more over whether to come forward.” How Rolling Stone Gave A Gift To Rape Apologists (h/t @CamilleDeMere)

– “An analysis by Villanova researchers of data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health indicated that black girls with the darkest skin tones were three times more likely to be suspended than black girls with the lightest skin.” Schools’ Discipline for Girls Differs by Race and Hue (h/t @JamilSmith)

Education

– “In the case of Buffalo United, the auditors found that the school board had little idea about exactly how the company – a large management firm called National Heritage Academies – was spending the school’s money. The school’s board still had to approve overall budgets, but it appeared to accept the company’s numbers with few questions. The signoff was “essentially meaningless,” the auditors wrote.” When Charter Schools Are Nonprofit in Name Only (h/t @marcela_elisa)

Torture

– “Contrary to the CIA’s assertions, there is no clinical indication to use rectal rehydration and feeding over oral or intravenous administration of fluids and nutrients,” said Dr. Vincent Iacopino, PHR’s senior medical advisor. “This is a form of sexual assault masquerading as medical treatment.” CIA Torture Report Highlights Unnecessary Medical Procedure (h/t @onekade)

– “But many media organizations have not applied this binding definition to the brutalities described in the Senate Intelligence Committee report. Some have argued that by using euphemistic terms instead of calling torture “torture,” the media minimizes its horrifying realities.” Here Are All The Things The Media Calls Torture Instead Of ‘Torture’ (via @ThinkProgress)

Suicide

– “Placing the suicidal subject within the realm of the clinically pathological provides a story that makes sense of my attempted self-manslaughter. Yet, for reasons unclear and probably historical, the problem of intent lingers. It’s not a question I seek out, but one that haunts me: Did I mean to do it?” Of Suicide (h/t @chrislhayes)

13

I was listening to the radio earlier this week and heard them discussing the movie version of Still Alice, starring Julianne Moore. It sounded interesting, so I started reading it on Thursday, and finished it while at the gym today. The writing was fantastic, the story was interesting and moving, and the small world Ms. Genova created took me in from the first page.

Still Alice tells the story of a cognitive psychology Harvard professor who, at age 51, is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. She has a professor husband and three grown children, and is forced to figure out how she is going to handle this diagnosis. The book unfolds month by month, from before the diagnosis, through telling the family and as the disease progresses. What makes the story different are two things: first, that it addresses early-onset Alzheimer’s (as opposed to Alzheimer’s affecting people in their 80s), and second, that it is told from the perspective of the person with the diagnosis, not the caregiver.

The book is devastating, but not so sorrowful that I found myself depressed by reading it. I really cared about Alice and her family. In fact, I cared so much for her family that I would love to have seen the story told from multiple perspectives (Alice’s husband and her three children, for example), although at that point the book would be 1,000 pages long. But those would be 1,000 pages I’d read. The characters are interesting and flawed – not everyone acts perfectly, and not everyone is wholly sympathetic. By have the main character Alice have multiple children and a spouse, the author can show us how different people might process the diagnosis.

Beyond that, though, and most importantly, Ms. Genova slowly, throughout the book, really shows us what Alice’s experience is as the dementia gets worse and worse. From early on, when she gets lost in a place she’s been daily for dozens of years, to later on, when she can no longer follow the plot of the book she’s reading, the reader gets as much of a sense as possible of what the person with Alzheimer’s experiences.

12

I got this from my sister for Christmas last year. The only profession I can recall really wanting (as much as little kid wants anything) was astronaut. Of course I didn’t actually do the things one would need to do, like join the military, to do that (and my vision would have disqualified me before anything else did). But I still talk about going to space someday.

This book is different from Mary Roach’s “Packing for Mars” in a good way: it’s told from the perspective of an astronaut from Canada who has been to space three times, including as commander of the International Space Station. The book is a memoir of his time preparing for, supporting, and traveling to space, and is framed as a way to be successful in life on Earth.

He makes some great observations, including a chapter on sweating the small stuff (you should) and treating the things that lead up to the big events (going to space) as just as important as those big events. It makes sense – if everything is focused on these large events that may or may not happen, and that’s all that is seen as worthwhile, everything else (the vast majority of life) will seem like a waste, or sad. And while it might not be this dire for all of us, his advice of being as prepared as possible and thinking about the ‘next thing that will kill me’ can be helpful too.

I also really liked his discussion of being a minus one, a zero, or a plus one. His idea is that we are all one of those things in each role we fill, and those who come in aiming to be a plus one when they are new on the scene tend to end up as a minus one. He suggest we all aim to be a zero (someone who doesn’t screw things up, but isn’t the champion), and by doing that, as we develop expertise in the area, we eventually will end up being a plus one.

I think that with many of his suggestions you could argue that there is a downside (if you’re focused on the small stuff, how do you look at the bigger picture), but I also think it depends on perspective. In that example, you look at the big picture but then break it down into much smaller steps to complete to get there, and care about each of those steps. Which actually seems to match most of the advice people give with things like goals and resolutions. My goal might be to buy a house, but I can’t just say that and then it happens. There are a lot of smaller steps involved, and each of those involves smaller steps, and it makes sense to lay them out and work at doing those steps well.

I’d recommend this book for sure – it was a pretty quick read for 300 pages, and his writing is interesting and vivid. If you aren’t going to get a chance to read it, though, please check out the video the author put together while on the ISS. You may have seen it before. It’s pretty great.

10

I’m doing decently well in my career, but until this year I haven’t really supervised anyone full time. My first employee is young, and eager to learn, and I want to figure out how to be a good manager for her while also ensuring the work gets done well.

So I went in search of a good management book for someone like me. Let me tell you – the business and management section of most bookstores is bleak. It’s like the self-help section (odd cover art, weird fonts, bizarre titles), but without the soul. However, this book stood out as one that seemed less distressing and focused on money. Ms. Pollak has built her career providing advice and coaching to others, and with this book she is targeting the millennial generation, as they are the ones starting to step into leadership roles for the first time. Now, I am technically Generation X, but a lot of what she shares in this book still applies.

She starts with a history of business and management philosophies, which is a good place to find more books to read on this topic. She then moves in to ways to ‘learn,’ ‘lead,’ and ‘last.’ She has great suggestions on social networking, managing conflict, and different management styles. The way she presents the information worked really well for me; when I finished reading it I went through and copied down all the parts I really wanted to remember into a book so I would follow up on the items. I’m not going to end up doing everything she suggested, but I feel good about the ones I plan to pursue.

My only complaint is this one section, where she talks about outsourcing what you can. “If it will save you time for more important personal or professional priorities, why not hire a virtual assistant or intern to take care of tasks such as grocery shopping, scheduling haircuts and doctor’s appointments, running errands, hanging your new curtains, or even doing your holiday shopping?” Virtual assistant? Sure. But intern? I disagree. An intern should be learning about whatever field they are working in, so unless they are interning as a virtual assistant, suggesting people get one to hang curtains strikes me as inappropriate.

Despite that misstep (at least she didn’t suggest hiring an UNPAID intern), I feel good recommending this to others looking for a not-cheesy management book.

7

– “The series of more than two dozen messages was meant to highlight the absurdity of critics who say black people are safe if they just “don’t do” things that make them look suspicious, Oluo says.” 25 Activities Black People Should Avoid Around Cops (h/t @thelindywest)

-‘I spoke with Dr. Carlos today and he said, “How about those Rams? They may be under contract to play football, but greater than that, they have a right to care about humanity. They have the right to feel whether something is just or unjust. They are entitled to their opinions, most centrally that Michael Brown’s life should not have been taken. Asking them to just ‘shut up and play’ is like asking a human being to be paint on the wall.”‘ St. Louis Rams Players Tell the World That #BlackLivesMatter (via @EdgeofSports)

– “But protesting the death of Michael Brown was not a political act – at least, not in the way it is being framed by political pundits. It was the act of black men who are or may someday parent black children. They are men with significant others and parents and siblings who also know the challenges of living and breathing while black. They are men who don’t want to die for being black. They don’t want their children to die for being black. I cannot think of a more personal act.” What the St Louis Rams know about Ferguson is a righteous glimpse of the way forward (via @rgay)

– “What is clear is this was vicious policing and an innocent man is dead. Another conclusion is also obvious. Officer Pantaleo was stripped of his gun and badge; he needs to be stripped of his job.” A Search for Justice in the Eric Garner Case (h/t @parul_sehgal)

– “We can move forward with this notion that police officers wearing body cameras will make them more judicious in their use of force, but it seems pretty clear that they just don’t give a fuck, and the court system is content to allow them to keep on not giving a fuck.” The System That Failed Eric Garner and Michael Brown Cannot Be Reformed (via @mychalsmith)

– “Clearly, the social disaster of white violence has complicated roots. But the beginning of an answer is to admit that we have a problem. It’s striking that President Obama, who’s frequently found time to comment on the height of black men’s waistlines, seems oblivious to this torrent of white killing.” White-on-white murder in America is out of control (h/t @ClinicEscort)

– “Prosecutors said Bailey marched back to his truck, and Combs tried to get inside to turn off the ignition. The two briefly fought, and Combs shot Bailey, 54, twice in the chest. Combs said he was tangled in Bailey’s steering wheel and feared for his life if Bailey drove away. Last month, a judge threw out his self-defense claim and ruled Combs should have let Bailey leave. White ex-cop charged in killing of black man in SC (h/t @MichaelSkolnik)

– “African Americans’ frustation and anger over Garner runs much deeper than the decision not to indict the white cop who killed him; it is a reaction to a white supremacist system that oppresses us and excludes us in every area of American life — economic, educational, social and political. Even the most empathic white person is just not going to know what that’s like.” Dear White People: Here Are 5 Reasons Why You Can’t Really Feel Black Pain (h/t @sarahkendzior)

Reproductive Rights

– “For women in jobs that involve prolonged standing (retail clerks, cashiers), are physically strenuous or dangerous (firefighters, law enforcement officers), or include contact with toxic materials (janitors, hotel housekeepers), pregnancy can be in direct conflict with their ability to work. Simply put, in order to continue earning a paycheck while pregnant, many women will need their employers to make some adjustments.” Pregnancy Complication (h/t @Legal_Voice)

– “We should believe, as a matter of default, what an accuser says. Ultimately, the costs of wrongly disbelieving a survivor far outweigh the costs of calling someone a rapist. Even if Jackie fabricated her account, U-Va. should have taken her word for it during the period while they endeavored to prove or disprove the accusation. This is not a legal argument about what standards we should use in the courts; it’s a moral one, about what happens outside the legal system.” No matter what Jackie said, we should generally believe rape claims (h/t @EdgeofSports)

– “So understand: I am a “false rape allegation” statistic. When they wrote their reports, sent the numbers off to the justice department to compile the information, I am down as a liar, a false allegation, even though no charges were ever filed against me. (Don’t know if that’s because they didn’t think they could make a case against me, or because they didn’t want to put a cop’s daughter on trial.) And you know what? I am not the only person. It is horrifying, the number of women that I have met in support groups and activist meetups who experienced very similar things. They too, are false allegation statistics. We were all raped.” I Am a False Rape Allegation Statistic (h/t @ChiefElk)

– “There’s no doubt that being falsely accused of rape is a dreadful thing that no one should have to endure. One of the reasons it is such a dreadful thing is that false accusations of rape basically do not happen. Statistically, between 2% and 8% of reported rapes are found to be false, but only about 40% of rapes are reported. Do a little math and that means that, for every false accusation of rape, there are up to 100 actual rapes that take place.” Jameis Winston Is Not A Victim (h/t @scATX)

– “In November, the CCG said it would take “urgent and necessary” measures to prioritise major treatment. That included delaying hip and knee operations for the morbidly obese, but Wednesday’s announcement applies to all routine procedures.” NHS Devon surgery restriction for smokers and obese plan revealed (h/t @fatbodypolitics)

Popular Culture

– “So, to say Obama is progress is saying that he’s the first black person that is qualified to be president. That’s not black progress. That’s white progress. There’s been black people qualified to be president for hundreds of years.” In Conversation with Chris Rock (h/t @jbouie)

Death Care

– “The choice of what to do with our bodies when we die is ours, but an $18 billion funeral industry and a cultural fear of death have kept us at arms’ length from the event. Few people know that embalming is not required by law anywhere in the United States, and even fewer realize that families can care for their own with no help from a professional in 44 states.” How Your Death Affects Climate Change (h/t @elementalnw)

– “I wanted to ask Doughty, what would a crematory design look like if we all feared death a little less, if we took down the physical and psychological fortress that separates the living from the recently deceased? Death Without Darkness (via @TheGoodDeath)